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Goal 4.0 PROVIDE SOUND AND COMPLETE LEADERSHIP AND STEWARDSHIP OF THE LABORATORY
Appendix B Volume 2, Self-Evaluation FY2006

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SLAC contact is John Cornuelle, Chief Operating Officer
650-926-2545, johnc@slac.stanford.edu

Summary evaluation

OBJECTIVE 4.1 – Provide a Distinctive Vision for the laboratory and an Effective Plan for Accomplishment of the Vision to Include Strong Partnerships Required to Carry Out Those Plans

• SLAC is meeting milestones in an updated vision and strategic/work plan that reflect the distinctive characteristics of SLAC.
  • The 2005 Business Plan maps our strategic vision was well-received by SC at a time when the Laboratory is undergoing a significant change in focus from historical emphasis on high energy physics to basic energy sciences. Planning reflecting the new balance of HEP and BES by 2009 is in process and will contain analysis down through the department level.
  • We are actively addressing human resources and technology challenges. The Laboratory continues its “one-deep” staffing challenges. We are identifying recruitment and retention targets for action in FY’07 and beyond.
    • We will address how staffing and technology will be changing to meet our goals including skill mix, retraining requirements, and strategies for new hires. We’ll rethink how we are doing business and meeting administrative support requirements. We will utilize and expand state-of-the-art administrative technologies (e.g. PeopleSoft, Data Warehouse, increased online self-service functions, electronic effort/time entry, etc.)
    • Succession planning is a clear priority for SLAC – next generation of our science depends on this.

• We are leveraging DOE resources through strategic partnerships with Key Universities, other DOE Labs and Industry Groups –
  • The Keystone of SLAC’s program is its intimate relationship to Stanford University. Examples include the fact that there are University buildings on-site (Guest House, Kavli), and that there are numerous joint faculty appointments (SSRL and photon science leading in this area). SLAC may lead SC in this relationship
  • LAT detector for GLAST just shipped – a unique DOE/NASA partnership
  • Diverse programs to increase public awareness, and to attract students to our science programs
    • We heave held five SLAC Public Lecture series in FY06. The average audience was between 275 and 300. The trend is towards increased attendance by Stanford University, high school and middle school students. Additionally, we’ve conducted outreach through distribution of 200 posters to the community, and 650 e-mails to “SLAC Connections” and to outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and schools with high Hispanic enrollment.
  • The K - 12 Program is expanding and thriving. Each year, we conduct tours for 1,000 middle school and 1,000 high school students. SLAC also participates in the “DOE Science Bowl” for high school students and hosts an annual regional DOE science bowl for 24 teams, each with 4-5 students. The winning team goes to DOE's National Science Bowl in Washington, DC
    • Our annual Kids' Day at SLAC event is very successful
      • 230 kids ages 9-16 for a daylong event on science and technology; hands-on activities, workshops and talks
    • DOE LSTPD (Laboratory Science Teacher Professional Development) Program
      • SLAC has recently submitted a proposal to DOE to run a 4-week summer workshop for middle school science teachers.
      • This would start in Summer 2007 with 10 teachers participating.
    • SLAC pursues focused partnerships with key universities and colleges with large diverse student enrollment in the sciences. Developed internships and rotations as well as exchange programs for high potential undergraduates from Historically Black Colleges, and schools with large Hispanic enrollment. Demonstrated improvement in job acceptance rate among minority engineers and scientists.
      • In 2006, we continued to work in partnership with a SLAC consultant to build focused partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority serving institutions. However, it should be noted that we were unable to secure funding to replace funding lost in FY 2005 to help finance actual internships. We intend to continue to pursue funding for this program during FY 2007. In the absence of replacement funding, the Assistant EEO Manager attended the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Annual Conference to initiate key contacts with administrators who work with Hispanic students. We are in the process of developing a broad diversity recruitment plan for SLAC to visit 5-6 Historically Black Colleges, American Indian and Hispanic Colleges in FY 2007-2008.
      • Although minorities and women as percentages of the total workforce have remained virtually constant from FY 2005 to FY 2006 at approximately 32.2% and 22.0% respectively, there was an increase in the number of opportunities filled by minorities and women. There were 228 opportunities total including 101 promotions and 127 new hires. Of the total number of opportunities, 37.3% (85) were filled by minorities and 34.2% (78) were filled by women. In 2005, there were 180 opportunities total including 80 promotions and 100 new hires. Of the total number of opportunities in 2005, 37% (67) were filled by minorities and 22% (40) were filled by women.
      • In counting minority participation in employment process, there are data counting limitations. For example, while "hired" candidates from the selection pool are required to self-identify for EEO purposes, "applicants" are invited to self-identify but often opt not to do so. As a result actual job acceptance rates for minorities are not available.
      • Of the total number of promotions, 40.6% (41) were filled by minorities and 30.7% (31) were filled by women. Minorities and women are being promoted at rates higher than their representation in the workforce (32.2% and 22.0% respectively). In 2005, 36.3% (29) of promotions were filled by minorities and 27.5% (22) were filled by women. This indicates that in 2006, there were slight decreases in the numbers of minorities and women promoted within SLAC.
      • Of the total number of new hires, 34.6% (44) were filled by minorities and 37.0% (47) were filled by women. Minorities were hired at a rate lower than their representation in the labor force (40.8%) and women were hired at a higher rate than their representation in the labor force at (26.9%). However, it should be noted that the labor force data takes into consideration all occupational groups and SLAC's work force is predominantly scientific and technical in nature, where minority and women representation has consistently been lower than other occupational categories. In 2005, 38% (38) of new hires were filled by minorities and 18% (18) were filled by women. This indicates that in 2006, there was a slight decrease in the number of female new hires.

Objective 4.2 -Provide for Responsive and Accountable Leadership Throughout the Organization

• Responsiveness for Opportunities for Continuous Improvement
  • SLAC is invigorating its QA program by the creation of the Office of Assurance. Responsiveness to opportunities for improvement will be a core responsibility of the new OA. This Office will document both the QA and Contractor Assurance Systems in a new Assurance Program Description.
• Level of leadership responding to issues is commensurate with levels of severity
  • Readily seen in response to ES&H incidents
• Leadership response is timely, immediate mitigation actions implemented
  • Successfully implemented “Argonne” model for site and SSO notification of incidents
  • Mitigation (if needed) and lessons-learned begins immediately
• Responsibility for accountability, cognizance of corrective action plans
  • The new Office of Assurance (OA) will oversee SLAC’s issues management system “CATS.” It is presently used for ES&H issues and our plan is to expand its use for assurance systems in other areas as well such as business operations, security, and emergency management. OA will track progress on closing out issues from all assessment activities including those which produce formal corrective action plans. It’s also the purpose of OA to validate that corrective actions were in fact taken and to assess their effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE 4.3 – Provide Efficient and Effective Corporate Office Support as Appropriate

• University leadership in reviewing and establishing risk limits
  • ES&H
    • SLAC Policy Committee (SPC) set up committee exclusively devoted to ES&H risk
    • Performed assessment and reported out to most recent SPC meeting
  • As the new Office of Assurance develops a reinvigorated QA program, new standards for documentation (Policy, Lab-Wide Requirements, and Directorate-level Procedures) will be developed. OA will also develop Contractor Assurance Systems for five different support programs – ES&H, Emergency Management, Business Operations, Security, and Cyber Security. Through these systems, risks will be assessed and mitigated. It is our goal to have both the QA and CASs in place by the end of the fiscal year.
• University assesses management approaches and systems
  • Management and organization effectiveness is a part of every SPC review
• University leadership involvement in corrective actions
  • ESHAC review alone produced five pages of explicit areas of concern and four pages of areas in need of further investigation